Office memo: the architects of a new flexibility and intimacy in the workplace

Office memo: the architects of a new flexibility and intimacy in the workplace

Architecture/
8 Nov 2016
/By Jonathan Bell

The dot-com boom led to the birth of the campus space, as workers lived out the bulk of their lives on company property, with their every need catered for. Yet fashion is cyclical, and demand is now spiking for smaller, more flexible spaces with built-in intimacy. The upcoming London HQ for Wolff Olins exemplifies the shift away from desks and meeting rooms towards a more collaborative spirit, reusing and recycling old office equipment wherever possible, while Morgan Lovell’s new office for Taylor Wimpey evokes the upscale domestic arrangements of the developer’s clientele.

AHMM’s new building for Google at King’s Cross is part of the ongoing consolidation of the tech giant’s scattered London outposts. ‘Project Jack’ is a key component of the space, a series of modular meeting rooms that are easy to take apart and move as necessary. Acoustically isolated and fully compliant with building regulations, the rooms grew out of a research programme and are being deployed for the first time at Google. With 1,000 staff on site, the company needs the ability to shift floor plans and refocus the space at short notice. Pictured, glazed cassettes of the modular office system 'Project Jack' come in degrees of transparency for privacy

Illustrator: Luke Fenech. As originally featured in the November 2016 issue of Wallpaper (W*212)

Estúdio Penha’s new space for AKQA is intended to supplement the global digital agency’s São Paulo office. AKQA Casa is a venue for events, lectures, performances, exhibitions and dinners. The Brazilian architects have placed an emphasis on domestic scale and character, creating a space that includes a garden and patios, with an elaborate collection of brise-soleil formed from vintage iron gates and railings.

The heavily patinated metal is complemented by the warm wood and leather furniture used throughout, including contemporary and classic Brazilian pieces by Sérgio Rodrigues, Lina Bo Bardi, Felipe Protti and Jader Almeida, as well as works by Hee Welling and Hans Wegner and lighting from Tom Dixon, Fabien Dumas and Ingo Maurer. AKQA treats each of its international offices as a ‘different room’ in one big company – São Paulo represents its 13th global outpost.

Werner Aisslinger’s new home and office range for Piure is a furniture system that can reshape your space and accommodate any approach to your home or office. MESH is an array of aluminium-framed pieces that combine tinted glass, perforated panels and a variety of textures, all available in seven different colours. The modular panels allow for open or closed sections, transparent, clear or opaque panels and a multitude of storage and display options. The Berlin-based architect intended the system to streamline workspaces for team-based office culture, opening up the working landscape to fresh ideas and partnerships.

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